Forums » Gillian Welch and David Rawlings "Guitar Tabs"

The Way It Will Be (chords)

    • Moderator
    • 135 posts
    August 21, 2011 12:21 AM PDT

    The Way It Will Be - Gillian Welch / David Rawlings
    Capo 3rd fret.  Intro Em Am

    Em I lost you awhile ago Am, but still I don't know  why Em
    I can't say your name Am without a crow flying Em by C
    Gotta watch my Bm back now that you turned me aEround Am
    Got me walking backwards into my homeEmtown

    CHORUS
    G Throw me a C rope on the G rolling C tide Am
    What did you C/B want it to C be?Am
    You said it's C/B him or C me
    The Am way you made it C
    That's the way it will G be D C

    He was Em seven years on the burma shore Am
    With gatling guns and Em paint
    Working the lowlands door-to-door Am like a Latter Day Em Saint C
    Then you turn me Bm out at the top of the E stairs Am
    You took all the glory that you just couldn't Em share
    CHORUS
    Em I never been so disabused Am never been so Em mad
    I never been served anything Am that tasted so Em bad C
    You might need a Bm friend any day now, any E day
    Am Oh, my brother, be careful you are drifting aEmway
    CHORUS
    The Am way you C/B made it C
    That's the way it will be Em Am Em

    Mandolin chords
    Gm Cm
    Eb/Bb Dm G Cm Gm
    Bb Eb for first 2 lines of the chorus, followed by Cm Eb/D(7568) Eb (x 2)
    Cm Eb Bb F Eb

    Cm The way you made it, Eb that's the way it will Bb be F Eb
    Cm The way you Eb/D made it, Eb that's the way it will  be Gm Cm

    • Moderator
    • 29 posts
    November 2, 2011 10:09 PM PDT
    What's C/B on the guitar and does anybody believe that it sounds right?
    • Moderator
    • 135 posts
    November 7, 2011 12:44 AM PST
    I think it's this x22010 or x20010
    • 45 posts
    December 7, 2011 9:26 AM PST
    i've got some slightly different chords you might want to give a try: not sure about the end.


    Em I lost you a while ago.
    Am Still I don't know Em why.
    Em I can't say your name
    Am without a crow flying Em by.
    Cmaj7 Gotta watch my Bm back
    E now that you turned me E7around.
    Am (You) got me walkin Am7 backwards
    into my home Em town.

    (chorus)
    G Throw me a C rope
    G on the rolling C tide.
    Am What did you Em7 want it to C be?
    Am You said it's Em7 him or C me.
    Em7 The way you Asus2 made it,
    C that's the way it will G be D C.

    We were Em seven years on the Burma shore
    Am with Gatling Am7 guns and Em paint
    Em working the lowlands door to door
    Am like a Am7 Latter Day Em Saint.
    Cmaj7 But then you turned me Bm out
    E at the top of the E7 stairs.
    Am You took all the Am7 glory
    Em that you just couldn't share.

    Em I've never been so disabused
    Am Never Am7 been so Em mad
    Em I've never been served anything
    Am That Am7 tasted so Em bad
    Cmaj7 You might need a Bm friend
    E Any day now, any E7 day
    Am Oh, my brother, be Am7 careful you are drifting a Em way

    (chorus)

    The Am way you Am7 made it Em7
    C (stop) that's the way it will be Am7 Em9
    • 112 posts
    December 7, 2011 9:30 AM PST
    I think it's "seven years on the Berber Shore." There's no specific place that goes by this label, exactly, but I think it refers to Northern Africa during WWII. (Barbary Coast).
    • Moderator
    • 135 posts
    December 7, 2011 9:40 AM PST
    Gatling guns were used in the american civil war.
    • 112 posts
    December 7, 2011 9:56 AM PST
    True, but they were also used on the North African coast in the late 19th century (during the Sudan Campaign). So my WWII estimate was too early.
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    • 29 posts
    December 7, 2011 10:31 AM PST
    Should we be referring some of these very specific questions as to what the real lyrics are to the Acony offices? I know Gill doesn't usually like explaining the meaning of her songs, because as she said at St. Luke's, "Y'know it's kinda a funny thing, I find myself, uh, not really having too many stories to tell about a lot of these songs 'cuz it's like whatever I had to say about the song, it kinda went IN the song." I would think that she wants folks to at least know what the correct words she's singing are, unlike say Michael Stipe or Eddie Vedder. Any thoughts?
    • 112 posts
    December 7, 2011 10:39 AM PST
    You know, Brian, if I could interview them all night, one of the questions in my notebook (and I do keep one) would be: "With the exception of Hell Among The Yearlings," you don't publish your lyrics. Why not, and why there?" I wonder if the personal interpretation inherent in the speculation is part of the listening experience they try to cultivate.
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    • 29 posts
    December 7, 2011 10:46 AM PST
    Your comment leads me directly to my most recent thought which is that we should gather a list of questions from amongst our members and submit them to G&D directly, either through the offices (they currently have 2, one at the Woodland Studios and one located in a residential neighborhood) and my connection there or through their management, Q Prime. Your thoughts?
    • 45 posts
    December 7, 2011 1:31 PM PST
    on the bob harris session they talked about writing the way it goes and the way the whole thing ends and that their radical selection of the verses leads to what had been a coherent "story" becoming hints at a narrative with a mystery contained in it.
    • 112 posts
    January 18, 2012 9:38 AM PST
    I am prepared to concede that it is "Burma Shore," although I don't know why. Watching the 2008 Newport performance, the enunciation is pretty clear.
    • 3 posts
    May 28, 2016 10:47 AM PDT

    The question about the "C/B" passing chord in the chorus-- It is a walk up in the bass from A to C.  Not sure exactly what they do, but I think plucking the B on the A string and an open G at the same time, leaving the other strings silent,  sounds good in that transition.